The Tree; by Kelly, Anna, and Sarah

Bark as dry as the Sahara Desert,

Leaves as soft as silk,

 branches stick out in different directions,

 like fingers trying to grab the wind.

 

The Tree; by Daniel, Joey, Abby, and Kevin

Rosa Parks: The Woman Who Changed the Nation; by Carolyn

 I drifted down the filthy street  heading home from the worst day at work. The fumes from the yellow taxis flying down the street polluted the air and stung my nose. My legs felt as if they are on strike and won’t go any farther, but I’m so close to the bus stop. Then I feel water drizzling down my face.

Boom! thunder and lighting strike and water was poring from the sky. ” Why me?”

 I make it to the bus stop and sit under the shelter. The bus finally pulls up and I pay my fair and sit in the first seat I see.

Soon as I sit down a white man comes over to me and says “MOVE Negroe”!

“No”, I said back in a strong voice  “and I not a Negroe, I’m a person”.  ” well what ever you are, just move!’, the man yelled

 Then the bus driver looks backed and says” you Negroes better move or your black behinds will end up in jail”,

everyone moved – but me 

“Move!”, he yelled louder than ever

 I paid my fair just like this white man, why can’t I sit here?…  plus my legs hurt, I’d said now yelling.

 The bus driver slowed to a stop and two policemen got on,  they came over to me and took my purse and grab me and cuffed me, as they lead me off the bus I asked … Why do you always push us around?

 No answered came back 

They just put me in the car, started the sirens and drove off. But before we left I looked back and I saw the grin on to bus drivers face and the rage in the blacks eyes.

 ****

10 years Later

As I look back to the horrible day ,

I remember that ugly bus driver who yelled at me.

I remember the white man who told me to move.

I remember the rage in the black peoples eyes.

And the thing I remember the most is fear, the fear I saw in the black peoples’ eyes that day.

Authors notes

 Rosa Parks was born in Tuskegge Alabama on February 4,1913. She was the oldest in the family, and only had one brother. She enter school in 1918 and drop out in high school (1929) to take care of her grandma. In 1932 she was marries Raymond Parks and a year later went back to school. In 1943 Rosa was kicked of a bus for the first time, but not arrested.(it was the same bus driver who  had her arrested years later.)  On December 5,1955 she was arrested for not giving up her seat. Four days later found guilty in court. She died October 24, 2005 from old age.

 

Shoes ; by Abby

Author’s Note:

  When I was researching Dr. Martin Luther King, I came across two stories that truly intrigued me. I thought that they had feelings people could relate to, so I combined them into this story. Hopefully you will feel what I believe MLK felt that day. 

 

    I was a small boy, but I understood the world in the South.

    The bells jingled loudly when we stepped inside. The room smelled like rubber. I needed shoes for church, so my father and I sat near the dress shoes. “Which ones should I get?” I questioned.

     ” How about those snazzy brown ones.” my father chuckled. A few minutes passed before a clerk came over to us. She was white. Her bright blonde hair curled at the bottom, and bounced when she spoke. In her most cheerful voice, she calmly asked us to move to the chairs on the other side of the room. I knew why.

    A year earlier, I had a friend I used to play baseball with. A couple months before school started, they weren’t at the field. They never missed a game. I went to their house to see if they were okay.

    Their mom answered the door. ” Can Billy and John come out to play?” I asked. Mrs. Doe knelt down and smiled, ” Billy and John can’t play today.” I asked if they were okay. She told me they were fine. Mrs. Doe always spoke to me with a tint of disgust. Then she said, quite bluntly actually, ” They can’t play with you because you’re black.” They were white also. Mrs. Doe stood there, looking impatient. Billy and John were in the kitchen behind her. Billy waved and smiled. John snarled and slapped his hand. He murmured something in Billy’s ear and pulled him out of the kitchen.

    I said goodbye and trudged off. I cried the way home.  My brain was racing. I didn’t understand what she meant. I was brown, not black. My driveway was black, my dog was black, but not me. I was dark brown, like chocolate. I told my mom. She explained things to me.

       So as you can see, I knew why. My father shook his head. He didn’t want to move. In a blunt voice, he said ,” There is nothing wrong with these seats. I do not have to move.” The clerk’s voice crackled as she said, “Sir, I’m going to have to ask you to leave if you don’t move to those seats.”

    ” Then I’ll leave.”

    We walked out heads high, wills as strong as ever, but in my heart, I sighed. I understood the world in the South.

     When I march, I still see that Mother’s  face, impatient and disgusted. And I see the clerk’s face, scared and confused. And I fight to prevent this from happening to any innocent black person, or any innocent white person.

Afterword:

     As we all know, Martin Luther King grew up to be a famous civil rights leader,who was tragically assassinated on April ,4, 1968, not even making it to his 40th birthday.  This is just one story of prejudice, that may have shaped the character of Martin Luther King. Segregation and discrimination were common in the South in the time period the story is set in. And unfortunately, the children who grew up in that time knew nothing better, so John and Billy , and many more unsuspecting white children, probably kept the hate alive, thus pushing back hope for the black people. And their children probably, even in this society, feel the racial tension formed hundreds of years ago. And if we stop it now, we can save our next generation of leaders, presidents, and most of all, parents.

 

 

Harry Houdini; by Jillian

 

Amelia: Before The Death Flight; by Jackie

 I can’t wait! Tomorrow my friend navigator Fred Noonan and I fly around the whole world! As excited as I am I’m a little nervous. By nervous I mean scared what if Fred or I get hurt or worse what if we die!  Actually I change my mind because getting hurt isn’t so bad and if I die at least I die with with a friend.

 Anyway I already know what to wear. I’m going to wear a long warm coat, gloves, boots, and a pilot hat. The reason I’m dressing so warm is because it’s cold in the air trust me. I think I should go I need some sleep for the big day.  

 Last night I dreamt of when I was a little girl. And the first time I saw a airplane. I was eleven years old. My family and I had gone to a fair. At the fair my family and I saw a plane above our heads flying and doing tricks. It was an amazing sight because back when I was a little girl seeing a plane was very rare for most people it was an once in a live time opportunity.  

 I can remember that day like it was yesterday. And guess what today I Amelia Earhart and my Friend Fred Noonan will fly around the world. In a plane of course! I should go I think I hear my husband George is calling me. 

 From Amelia

Author’s Note

The story you just read is about Amelia Earhart if you didn’t notice. Amelia was born on July 24Th 1897 in Atchison Kansas. In Amelia’s time girls were not supposed play sports or get dirty. In fact all girls were supposed to do was to wear dresses, sit neat, and act like perfect little laddies. Even if they didn’t want to usually there parents would force them too. But Amelia’s parents Amy and Edwin Earhart believed in the exact opposite they belived that girls and boy should be treated equally and they were right. Ameila and her youger sister Muriel spent most of there time playing sports. On Ameila’s eleventh birthday Amelia and her family celebrated by going to a fair. And at that fair they saw a plane doing tricks above there heads. Amelia was amazed because it was the first time she saw a plane. Also seeing a plane was a rare sight back then. 

Paul Revere: The Midnight Ride; by Anna

Marie Curie: One Glow of History; by Hannah

Meeting Rachel; by Vincent

A Trip to the Countryside; by Theresa

     ”What?” I exclaimed.  “Send me to the countryside?  But why?  I don’t want to leave Warsaw, Poland.”

     ”Marie, you have been so sad and depressed since your mother died in 1878. I think it would be best if you went to the countryside for a year to live with your relatives,” my father said in a calm, mellow voice.

     I sadly packed all the belongings I would need.  I didn’t want to leave my friends, even though I hated Poland because of all the Russian soldiers taking over.  Maybe going to the countryside wouldn’t be so bad after all. 

     After spending a few days in the countryside, I began to feel free.  No soldiers told me what to do.  There were no soldiers at all!   

      I happily walked over to the kitchen and sat down to the sweet smell of waffles.  I loved coming downstairs to breakfast and not having to work like I had to back at home.  Again, I saw one of my uncles start to drink a whole jug of milk!  He does it at every meal.  Maybe I can put a little water in the jug - a little more each time and see if he notices.  I’ll start the next day. 

    It has been a few days and he hasn’t noticed yet.  “Ha, ha, ha ,ha!” I burst out laughing. 

    “What’s so funny? Hey, did you put water in this?” he questioned suspiciously. 

    ”Maaaay-be,” I replied.  “Yes,” I admitted laughing. 

     Then he said, “I’ll get you for that!” But I knew he was joking. 

    He also is a neat freak, so I decided to turn his room upside-down.  I’ll hang all his items on his ceiling, I thought.  I eventually did! 

    “What in the world! My room is upside-down!” he said when he walked into his room.  “Marie!” he said again in a playful voice.  I walked over to him, knowing he would laugh. 

     “Yes?” I said. 

     “Did you hang all my stuff?” he asked laughing. 

      “Yes, I did,” I replied, laughing back.

    It felt liberating to take a year off.  I thought of my dad’s special words.  It was relaxing not having to do math or science or anything else but have fun.  I loved riding the horses and feeling the wind blow in my face.  The horse’s neck felt soft and comforting.  Instead of studying science and doing experiments, I had free time to draw in my sketchbook.  I loved being able to read books other than textbooks about physics and chemistry.

    Leaving the countryside, I felt great about the life ahead of me  I knew now that I could discover something.  I felt confident about my scientific future. 

    I look back to this story and remember how different I felt after spending time in the country with my laid-back relatives.  I look back to all the pranks I played, even though they all had a little bit of experimentation in them.  After going to the countryside, I was able to return to Warsaw, Poland refreshed and renewed. 

  

     AUTHOR’S NOTE

 

Marie Curie was a famous scientist who studied physics and chemistry.  She was the only person who received two Noble Prizes in two different types of science (physics and chemistry). She was born in Warsaw, Poland as Marya Sklodowska.  In this story, I wanted to get across Marie’s sadness before she went to the countryside, compared to the joy in her after she came back.  Later she went to Paris and met Pierre Curie, a scientist who she eventually married.  Marie and Pierre Curie proved radioactivity exists.   Pierre died in a horse-drawn cart accident in 1906.  Marie died from her own experiments in 1934 at the age of 67.

As an Apprentice; by David

Rosa Parks and the Bus Boycott;by Chrissy

The Boston Tea Party; by Jenny

Amelia Earhart Flies Around The World; by Holly

My First World Series; by Daniel

Why I Play Soccer; by Peter

Bob The Hamster; By Colin

Rocket the Rock’en dog; by Jackie

Spooky Saturday; by Anna

Electric Dude 2 attack of Steel Stone; by Dave

Noelle; by Chrissy

Dipping Down Deep; by Hannah

The First Time I Went Rock Climbing; by Joey

The Body; by Vincent

Todd and Bob on Summer Vacation; By Brendan